STACK #130 Aug 2016

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with RYAN KWANTEN .

He was an absolute professional and a true gentleman. One of the images that stayed with me was [Hopkins] staying back on his last day – it was pissing down rain in Louisiana and he stayed back for at least an hour to sign things and take photos and to watch the next scene. And I’ve never seen that many cast and crew who weren’t working come in on the first day he was working to stand around the monitor and watch the acting genius in the flesh. How is life after True Blood , and have you been offered more film roles now that the series has finished? It’s horrible! [Laughs] I have been offered more film work, but nothing that’s really taken my weird sensibilities. The ones I’ve read have been pretty cookie- cutter, so I’ve been very cautious with making movies that are not inspired by creativity. I shot Blunt Force Trauma last year in Bogota with Mickey Rourke and Freida Pinto, and also did the voice of Blinky Bill for the Australian animated movie that comes out later this year. Even when you were busy with True Blood , you still came home occasionally to make films like Red Hill , Mystery Road and Griff the Invisible . I love the way that Aussies make films, and I love that I get the opportunity to get back there and work with local filmmakers, because I think we have some of the best – if not the best – in the world.

Ryan Kwanten in Kidnapping Mr. Heineken

Many viewers may not be aware that the kidnapping of Freddy Heineken, as detailed in the movie, actually happened in 1983; were you aware of the case prior to doing the film? RYAN KWANTEN: I thought when I heard the pitch that it sounded a bit far- fetched. But the more you research it, the more you realize what these guys did. It’s one thing to plan it and another thing to execute it. I think at the time it was the biggest ransom ever paid for someone, so it was a very successful kidnapping. But it was the fact that they had all this money that ultimately resulted in the guys’ downfall. How did you see your character, Jan ‘Cat’ Boellard? I sort of made a point of keeping him

very quiet and much more the analytical guy, and also the guy that was very good with his hands. They imprison Mr. Heineken and [his driver] Ab in this Quonset hut that belonged to a large wood manufacturing company, requiring the creation of a double wall, cells and a hidden floor. Maybe it wasn’t explained all that well in the movie – that made the 42-metre-long hut look shorter on the inside by four metres, which went unchecked. The casting of Aussie actors like yourself, SamWorthington andThomas Cocquerel as the Dutch kidnappers is interesting… I guess they’re gluttons for punishment [laughs]. It was great to band up like that. Jim [Sturgess] as well; he’s a good, solid Englishman. It was one of those films where we were shooting in a foreign city for five weeks, so it was fly by the seat of your pants stuff. Fortunately, the producer had got a great bunch of actors together who were willing to put in the hard yards. How did you find working with Anthony Hopkins? He adds a touch of Dr. Lecter to the role of Freddy Heineken.

• Kidnapping Mr. Heineken is out now

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